National Republican., 1887-11-16
Two Sick Men,

The peace and perhaps the map OF Europe
is dependent to some extent upon the con-
dition of two sick men. One Of these, the
Emperor William of Germany, is bowed
down with the weight of ninety. one years
added to the cares OF empire. The other T.
his son, "Unser Fritz,n as the Germans love
to call him, struck by an incurable disease,
the same which struck down the greatest ol
Americas soldiers, cancer of the throat.
1t is impossible, considering his growing
infrmlties and advanced age, that the EN-
peror can survive much longer. The cele-
brated English surgeoa, DR.. Mckenzie.
with Professors Bergmsn, Virchow, robold
and Drs. schmidt, Serocter, Kause, AMI
Scbrctezar, the leading German physicians
have all agreed that the Grown Priace |.
suffering from a vlrulent cancer In tn
throat which must terminate fatally, tn,
only difference of opinion between thes
distinguished medical men being as to tn
character of operation that will prolong III,
most.
The present Emperor Of Germany was a
well grown youth when the great Napoleon
almost literally destroyed the kingdom oi
Prussia, to the throne OF which his elder
brother was the heir apparent. He can
remember well when his mother, the
Queen Louisa, besought the French con-
queror to spare her people and capital city.
Time, that wonderful avenger, has placed
the then unknown prince at the head OF an
empire more powerful, because homoge-
nous, than Napoleon ever ruled and has
seen him conqueror in the French capital,
but II has also weighted him down with
years and care so that he is passing away
before the grand fabric he has erected is
still hardly completed.
The Emperor William might have laid
down his crown and life all the more will
ingly II his son, now q man of flfty-slx,
could succeed to the former, bringing his
thoroughly trained faculties, both in wal
and statecraft, to the further building up
of the German empire and the possible
unllcation OF the entire German people OF
Europe.
But, unfortunately, as old age lays Its
heavy hand upon the emperor, disease as
remorseless as age itself seizes the middle.
aged and vigorous Crown Prince and ren.
ders his death but question Of time-and
o short time; and the successor TO the i'm,
peral throne is young man Of twenty
nine years.
He, 1t is true, is trained soldier, but ht
is nothing more, and is said to be ambitious
Of distinguishing himself In that way a.
greatly as did the great grand uncle OF hi,
grandfather, Frederick the Great, who first
made Prussia power in European affair.
and laid the foundation for the greatness Of
his family.
Prince William is a grandson Of Queer
Victoria, her oldest daughter having marriec
the Crown Prince of Prussia over thirty
years ago. He inherits the obstinacy OF tn
Brunswickers from his mother with the am
bItion of the Hohenzollerns from hi
father, and they have been noted for tina
quality since the days when the first Of tn
family was created duke and given hom
upon the marches" Of Poland.
This young man, ambitious and possibly
swayed to some extent by the old legen,
which points TO an emperor with one ham
and four sons (Which is his description
as the greatest of the Germans, will fin,
himself at the head of one Of the larges
and best equipped armies Of the bes
trained soldiers the world ever saw.
Who can conjecture what will be hi
course, or how much the death of the tive
sick men now passing away In Europ
will affect the destinies Of the world?